


The Eleventh Hour

by Kantayra



Category: Dresden Files - Butcher
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-25
Updated: 2009-12-25
Packaged: 2017-10-05 06:16:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/38637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kantayra/pseuds/Kantayra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>How Harry almost made Thomas late for a major Raith event.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Eleventh Hour

**Author's Note:**

  * For [nightwalker](https://archiveofourown.org/users/nightwalker/gifts).



"Would you stop that?" Thomas snapped at me. "You're just spreading the stain around worse."

"It would be easier if you would stop squirming," I retorted and continued attacking Thomas' jacket with a whole pile of napkins.

"It would be easier if you hadn't spilled your wine on me in the first place," Thomas corrected.

"Did you _see_ what Lara is wearing? You're lucky I didn't do something twice as embarrassing."

"You can be embarrassing all you want. _I_ need to have a clean jacket."

I sighed. "What's Lara even doing here, anyway?"

"She's family," Thomas said blankly. "She's invited."

"Yeah, well, Daddy Dearest isn't here," I pointed out.

"He…isn't invited," Thomas agreed. He batted at the stain some more, but whatever way you looked at it, there was a huge, red stain all over Thomas' shirt and jacket. Thomas swore.

"There's no other choice. We're going to have to trade."

Thomas gave me a skeptical look. "Not all of us are scrawny knuckle-draggers."

"Har-har," I punched him in the shoulder. "Take it off."

Thomas sighed, but he really didn't have any choice. We got out jackets and shirts off just in time for Lara to burst in the door, of course.

"You've got two min—" She froze at the sight of us and smirked. "Well, well," she drawled, "don't mind if I do…"

"I mind very much," Thomas retorted and shoved her back out the door. "We are _not_ going to mess this up, Lara."

Lara sighed wearily. "I still don't see why we're even here. It's just so…_unnatural_."

"We're here because we're _family_," Thomas informed her tersely. "Now, go out there, sit down, and try to pretend that you understand what that means."

Lara looked outraged at Thomas for ordering her around, but something caused her to snap her mouth shut, nod angrily, and leave the two of us in peace. Maybe there was some sense of family buried deep inside her, after all.

"Did she say two minutes?" I worried once she was gone.

"Shit!" Thomas agreed. We switched clothes and scrambled to button everything back up again. "If, in a room half full of incubi and succubae, _you_ have made me late, you're getting the couch for the next _month_."

Thomas tugged hopelessly at my jacket. It _almost_ fit him, if he rolled up the sleeves and didn't button it in front. Maybe.

"No one will be looking at you anyway," I said with a wince.

A knock sounded on the door. Thankfully, it wasn't Lara this time. "Are you ready in there? It's time."

Thomas let out a nervous laugh. "Wish me luck."

"I promise to buy you a pizza when you get through this alive."

"And a new shirt."

"And a new shirt," I agreed. "See you out there." I slipped out ahead of Thomas and headed into the church. Of course, the only empty seat was right next to Lara Raith. That's just my luck.

"I still say this whole affair is perverse," Lara insisted and tugged the front of her dress down another inch. I was pretty sure the thing had to be attached with glue, because there sure wasn't anything else holding it up. "What do you think of my dress?" She grinned at me.

I grinned back. The music swelled just then and cut off an absolutely brilliant retort. Really, it was a crime against nature.

I looked up to where Bobby stood, looking twelve years old and terrified in front of the altar. Then, there were whispers and heads turning, and finally Inari appeared, looking gorgeous in a way that had nothing to do with her older sister's gaudiness. Thomas held her arm and walked with her down the aisle. I had to agree with Inari's choice. Even in my crappy, overly long jacket, Thomas was a definite step up from the real father of the bride.

Inari approached Bobby, and Bobby suddenly stopped looking so much like a scared little kid and more like a smitten young man.

"Honestly," Lara said under her breath, "a succubus wedding…" Her voice was just a bit softer than usual, though. I figured it was more a philosophical objection than anything else.

"Not a succubus anymore," I whispered back.

Someone hushed us, and the wedding began. No one even commented on Thomas' ill-fitting jacket, at least in my section of the church. Sometimes, things really did turn out all right in the end.


End file.
